Embezzlement of Tk 1,746cr

ACC files five cases against Crescent boss

The Anti-Corruption Commission yesterday filed five cases against 22 individuals, including Crescent Group Chairman MA Kader, for allegedly misappropriating about Tk 1,746 crore from the Janata Bank.

On January 30, Customs Intelligence and Investigation Directorate arrested Kader in connection with three separate cases filed with Chawkbazar Police Station in the capital over laundering Tk 919 crore.

Yesterday's cases were filed with the same police station.

Of the 22 accused, 15 are Janata Bank officials, including its former general managers Fakhrul Alam and Jakir Hossain.

After examining bank documents, the ACC officials found that the companies took money from the bank by submitting false information. But the bank officials did not properly scrutinise the documents submitted by the companies.

The ACC and CIID began their enquiries after a Bangladesh Bank report revealed last year that the Crescent group “skimmed” at least Tk 765 crore from the Janata Bank (JB) and the Bangladesh Bank (BB) between January 2017 and February 2018.

The total amount of loans taken by the Crescent Group from the JB was Tk 3,443 crore in October last year.